JUNEAU - An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency stop in Juneau Saturday morning when an equipment malfunction led to four people needing treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Four on board flight treated for carbon monoxide poisoning122408
NEWS2Capital City Weekly JUNEAU - An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency stop in Juneau Saturday morning when an equipment malfunction led to four people needing treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning.

JUNEAU - An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency stop in Juneau Saturday morning when an equipment malfunction led to four people needing treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning.

A ground heating unit used to prepare the runway for Flight 73 from Sitka to Anchorage pushed fumes into the plane before it departed, forcing the aircraft and its 83 passengers to stop in Juneau. Capital City Fire and Rescue met the plane at the Juneau Airport and treated four people, three of them Alaska Airlines employees, for carbon monoxide poisoning before taking them to Bartlett Hospital for further tests, according to a report by KINY radio. The status of the individuals is unknown.

Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Caroline Boren confirmed that three employees were treated by emergency responder, though she said Alaska Airlines' investigation into the fumes is still ongoing and the airline "can't verify carbon monoxide poisoning" at this time. She said the report of carbon monoxide poisoning had come from the first responders.